� THANK YOU from Stephanie to all those who prayed for her to be a candidate for an ear implant.She was unaware of the criteria necessary &, after testing, (the GOOD NEWS IS) has been found to have too much hearing to warrant an implant.stephaniew324@gmail.com Tel: 617 774 0920

AA 12 x 12 page 30“We who had won so handsomely in a walk turned into all-time losers. We saw that we had to reconsider or die. We found many in AA who once thought as we did. They helped us to get down to our right size. By their example they showed us that humility and intellect could be compatible, provided we placed humility first. When we began to do that, we received the gift of faith, a faith which works. This faith is for you, too.”Today Stephanie can truly say: �I am God�s helpmate…Control is an illusion. I am never in control. God has control and I am either going to be God�s co-pilot or will be fighting him. So I am not a loser today because I align my will with God�s will.�

Soul work

Q1a) So where are you?Write your name followed by: �I came to the end of myself� (or if you prefer, �I turned into an all-time loser�)(insert your name) saw that I had to reconsider or die.We who had won so handsomely in a walk turned into all-time losers. We saw that we had to reconsider or die.b) Pray and meditate on these two lines. This is very important because if you do not believe that, you are not ready to go onto step 2 and step 3: made a decision to turn your will and your life over to a God of your understanding. There is nowhere else to turn. And the Big Book study process is about having a spiritual experience.If you think: �I am not a loser. I have not come to the end of myself,� why would you turn over your will and your life?

Q2. Of myself, I am nothing. God doeth the work.Try and find this quote in the Big Book or AA 12&12.

Q3. Look up: humility, intellect. Write on:a) How humility without intellect will not work.b) How intellect without humility will not work.c) But, the two are compatible so long as you place humility first.

Q4a) What does the gift of faith mean to youb) Have you received it yet?c) And how do humility and intellect fit in?​Q5) In the Serenity Prayer see God as your pilot.God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change – how does that parallel God as my pilot?the courage to change the things I can

how does that parallel that I need to work with God and do what I can where I can?

and the wisdom to know the difference.

Where are you going to get the wisdom?

(If you have come to the end of yourself, you cannot depend on your own wisdom. We have got to pray and that is where the Quiet Time comes in).

​Week 108 12-step Big Book Study workshop 23 Jan 2014AA 12 x 12 Page 29 �Now we come to another kind of problem…� until near end of the paragraph: ��We who had won so handsomely in a walk turned into all-time losers.�New Address for donations (last week gave an incorrect address):Stephanie WhitingP.O. Box 558BrocktonMA 02303Jennifer looking for volunteers to do service putting the recording on the website. The training would be approximately one hour a week for a month.Back-up secretary required for taking down the questions to help Ashira and Angela. Stephanie will get you their contact information so you can talk and train with them. �We never want to be without back-up.�Contact Stephanie at: stephaniew324@gmail.com or telephone/text: 617 774 7916Stephanie also welcomes questions relating to any aspect of the workshop.Al-Anon focussed buddy group for sharing soul work with an Al-Anon focus.A one-off information meeting for the above takes place 6pm EST Tuesday February 4th on this phone bridge. Marie is the contact person. Perhaps two groups will be formed – one for the morning another for the evening. A minimum of four people required to form a group. Weekly rotation of leadership. It is not an Al-Anon meeting.Soul workLook up: agnostic, precocious, humble, bidding.Now we come to another kind of problem: the intellectually self-sufficient man or woman.Q1a) Do you have the problem of being intellectually self-sufficient? b) In what areas do you still have the problem that you are too smart for your own good? Q2. Write this down (remembering Stephanie is not your God, only your Big Book sponsor). This is how Stephanie reaches a decision: �I realise I have a problem. I go to God. I go to my spiritual mentor. I go to a worldly wise person i.e. doctor, medical specialist, lawyer, consultant. Then I bring all the information back to God in prayer and Quiet Time. Then I make a decision with God. I pray about the decision for a couple of days. I bring it to my spiritual mentor. I bring it to my professional and then the decision is made. Of course my husband is right in there unless it is something really personal.�Write out: How I (insert your name….) make a decision. Then list the steps you take to in making a decision. Can use specific names of professionals, sponsors etc. Now we come to another kind of problem: the intellectually self-sufficient man or woman. To these, many AA�s can say, �Yes, we were like you – far too smart for our own good. We loved to have people call us precocious. We used our education to blow ourselves up into prideful balloons, though we were careful to hide this from others. Secretly we felt we could float above the rest of the folks on our brain power alone…�Q3. �Oh you are so wise, beautiful, perfect in your programme, blah, blah blah..�� It is all blah blah blah. We love to have people call us …. fill in the blank.Write this down: Humble and Teachable are the opposite of being precocious. Q4. If humble & teachable is a 10 and precocious a 1, where are you on a scale of 1-10?Secretly, we felt we could float above the rest of the folks on our brain power alone. Scientific progress told us there was nothing man couldn�t do. Knowledge was all-powerful. Intellect could conquer nature.Q5a) Is this true? How true is it in your life today? Write on this from your experienceb) How has it been a stumbling block for you? Q7. What are your gifts? Are you talented when it comes to dancing, singing, cooking, baking, encouraging, teaching children, adults, etc.? List at least three of your gifts. Since we were brighter than most folk (so we thought), the spoils of victory would be our for the thinking. The god of intellect displaced the God of our Fathers.Q8. Are you smarter than everyone else? Meditate on the whole paragraph.

​(week 107) 16 January 2014 12 Step Study workshop,AA 12 x 12 Step Two second line of page 29Obviously the dilemma of the wanderer … until end of 2nd paragraph:…It was in AA that we rediscovered it. And so can you.

Mark Houston and Joe H The Hawk, author of The Awakening.Stephanie suggests that we listen to recordings on the internet of these who old-timers who have now passed and were a great influence on her. They both extensively studied and ran workshops on the Big Book.

Soul work Obviously, the dilemma of the wanderer from faith is that of profound confusion.

Q1. Where are you in your life? Write down every single area of profound confusion. Then practice bringing a pad to quiet time, let it sit beside you and write down your thoughts as and when they arise. And when a thought comes up again, you can say: I have already written it down, now I am going to let it go.

Q2. Having tried Quiet Time for more than two years in this workshop, are you convinced it does not work – yes or no?If agree, write yourself an action plan on how you are going to overcome this and do Quiet Time anyway. If you have not lost the conviction and you find Quiet Time helpful, write out (with a view as to how it will help the newcomer) the story of how you became convinced that when in profound confusion there is comfort in going to the God of your understanding. Read this to your buddy group.

Q3.The will to win would carry us through.How does that work for you?Finally, when all our score cards read zero, and we saw that one more strike would put us out of the game forever, we had to look for our lost faith. and so can you.

Q4. Did you already have a faith when you came into recovery?Or was it when you came into recovery that you rediscovered your faith?Expand your reply beyond yes or no.

AA 12&12 p. 28 middle of para 2: “The roadblocks of indifference, fancied self-sufficiency, prejudice, and defiance…” Untilp. 29 near end of top paragraph: “We were still sure that we ought to be fairly honest, tolerant, and just, that we ought to be ambitious and hardworking.”2 Announcements:(1) Concerning Stephanie’s Q3b of last week( Jan. 2, ’14) – ‘ Do you have in your life an accountability partner who is willing to tell you that you are playing God in your life?’ –STEPHANIE WISHES TO TELL YOU THAT:IF YOU ARE SOMEONE WHO RECOGNIZES THEY NEED GUIDANCE, IT WOULD PUT A MONKEY-WRENCH INTO THE RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNER TO GET ( ideally constructive) CRITICISM FROM THEM RATHER THAN JUST THEIR WITNESSING & ENCOURAGEMENT.SO – BETTER TO USE SOMEONE ELSE, OTHER THAN YOUR ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNER, FOR GUIDANCE/ CRITICISM.

QUESTIONS:

Q1a) Where are You:– Are you in the RELIGIOUS place that says the existence of G-d CAN be proved?– Are you in the AGNOSTIC place that says it CAN’T be proved and I Don’t Trust G-d?– Are you in the ATHEISTIC place that claims proof of the NON- existence of G-d?– OR: Are you in the HP place- just Very Confused how to USE your Higher Power?Or – Are you anything inbetween?1b) Are you in a dilemma of “profound confusion” NOW? (AA 12&12 p. 28 para 2 end sentence 6)c) If not, tell your story of HOW YOU were &HOW G-d led You to Your foundation of conviction Today.

Q2) Can you relate to the word DRIFTER?(AA 12&12 p. 28- last para 1st sentence).

Q3) How many of you, IN your addiction, were ” fairly honest, tolerant, and just, … ambitious and hardworking”?​Q4) Do you believe that any ONE addiction isMORE serious than another? Where are you in your prejudice?THIS is GOOD PRACTICE: Write(c/o Stephanie) –-” I commit to going to my HP ( howEVER I’m clear about who/what my HP is ) when I am in confusion about what to do next or when I need comfort.– And I will go to this HP every day and I will LISTEN to what this HP wants me to know about it/ Him/ Her.– And I will go to this HP whenever I need comfort/ am in confusion/ just need to talk.”

12 x 12 page 28. ‘Consider next the plight of those who once had faith…’ until line 6 of page 29 ‘He is the bewildered one.’Write down:Are you willing to have love and tolerance and have a daily Quiet Time?Resentment is the No. 1 reason we go back to our drugs and the No 1 robber of the joy of sobriety.The antidote to resentment is love and tolerance of others through having healthy boundaries.Boundaries are for the specific reason of keeping you from hurting others. Radical!

Q1 Are you excited about this coming year and what your Higher Power and your recovery in this Big Book study is going to bring?Page 21: Who cares to admit complete defeat?

Q2. Do you care to admit complete defeat?b) In what areas?

Q3 Who do you have in your life as accountability partner?b) Are they willing to tell you that you are playing God in your own life?c) Will they guide you to stop being agnostic and aesthetic?

Q5 Write on the four road blocks of indifference, self-sufficiency, prejudiced, defiance.

Q6. What’s your opinion of Quiet Time?Are you indifferent? Do you have a self-sufficiency?

Our live phone meetings are every Thursday at 8:00 AM EST. The phone number for these live meetings is (712) 775-7031, and the meeting ID number is 714744988#.

Please send donations to support the website to:

Stephanie Whiting P O Box 531 North Pembroke MA 02358

You can listen to our recorded meetings at (641) 715-3900, pin 95666# for our Thursday Big Book Step Study workshop. You can also hear our Tuesday Big Book Study recordings at (641) 715-3900, pin 298913#. These meetings can be accessed at any time.